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Small plots and automatic rain shelters: a field appraisal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

B. J. Legg ,
W. Day ,
N. J. Brown  and
G. J. Smith
B. J. Legg
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.
W. Day
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.
N. J. Brown
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.
G. J. Smith
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts.
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Summary

Two rain shelters, each covering an area of 210 m2, have been built at Rothamsted for use in tillage experiments and drought experiments. Each shelter automatically moves over the experimental area when rain starts, and moves away when rain stops; thus all rain is kept off, but other aspects of the microclimate are little affected. Small experimental plots were used, and, except in the 0·5 m strips at the plot edges, the height and yield of a barley crop were uniform. Irrigation water to some plots was labelled with tritium; when applied to very dry plots, a measurable proportion of this water moved laterally by more than 1·0 m. However, the total quantity of water transferring between adjacent plots was not large enough to inconvenience the tillage or drought experiments.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 91 , Issue 2 , October 1978 , pp. 321 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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References

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